


Back Again

by flinthasfeels



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Ash Lynx dies... or does he?, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Hugs, M/M, Okumura Eiji Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:15:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29272353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flinthasfeels/pseuds/flinthasfeels
Summary: Eiji is still bound to New York, even after a year of Ash’s supposed passing.But what if being shackled in New York was for the best in the long run?
Relationships: Ash Lynx & Okumura Eiji, Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	Back Again

Even the warmth inside the library couldn’t keep Eiji warm, for his heart was cold in grief. But he still sat rather contently in the wooden chair, reading a book. 

Eiji often found himself questioning some of his motives— motives such as staying in New York despite that being what ached him, visiting the very library Ash passed in, even though it reminded him that the boy was no longer here on earth. But the truth is, he felt nostalgic. It brought back good memories with a bittersweet sting, salt on a fairly new wound.

With today’s time in the library, he finally gave in to temptation, reading  _ The Catcher in the Rye . _

He wondered what got Ash so hooked, a book that could seemingly calm the mind of a wild Lynx. Maybe all books had that affect, and Ash just had a favorite. Each turn of the page made his heart ache, and every word close to a finish made him want to shut it tight.

But with the footsteps of strangers coming and going throughout time, following by the fall of the sun rays through the glass, Eiji realized that he never put it down. He craned his neck upward which brought immediate strain, showing exactly just how long he hung his head low as he read.

It was another singular pair of footsteps that brought his head back down, only to be greeted by a figure dressed in black.

Admittedly, Eiji was intimidated.

A baggy hoodie, jeans, and piercing green eyes. Not to mention the person was quite tall.

The ends of Eiji’s lips only drew downward as he saw a strand of blond fall through the hood the other was wearing. He had reached for enough blond strangers out of blinding grief to know this is just another cruel trick, seemingly the world loved to watch him suffer. 

But hope ignited in his heart when this blond locked eyes with his, glancing from his face, to the book, back to his face. 

“I love that book.” He croaked, tucking the strand of hair away. 

Eiji’s heart burned larger, like gasoline being chucked at a raging house fire— And before he could jump up at the sight of the other, he gripped both hands atop the book, 

“Ash?” 

His voice shook as he called out the name, swallowing shortly after with anxiety churning in his stomach. 

  
“Eiji.”

The tone he spoke bled familiarity, or as if he was expecting Eiji to be here, even after a year.

The words that confirmed the hope in his heart unleashed him, in which he leaped up, eyes agape and mouth ajar. No amount of anything could ever describe how much confusion was turning the gears in his brain; nothing could describe the abundance of questions that left his brain ample.

But never did Eiji hesitate in that moment to wrap his arms around Ash, gripping onto the fabric that he wore over his back.

Relief only continue to fill him to the brim when he felt the other pair of arms envelope him, mutually tight with relief.

Eiji only chucked lightly out of pure shock, “You have so much explaining to do— I have so many questions—!” He hissed, shaking his head, “But not now, I’m just glad you’re here... somehow.” 

He prayed that if this was a dream, that it would last forever; that if it was a hallucination, it wouldn’t falter. He hoped that the warmth he received from this hug would linger, long after letting go. But upon grounding himself from this excited high, he could hear Ash’s heartbeat reverberating within his own chest. With each beat, he was increasingly convinced that the man hugging him in this moment, finally came back.

“I’ll explain everything.” He promised, words that only grounded Eiji more, “I’m sorry if I worried you.” 

“You should be sorry— I thought you died.” 

But the way he kept his arms tight around Ash completely disregarded his unintentional harsh tone. 

“I can’t find myself to be mad at you though.” He sighed, continuing, “I’m sure you had your reasons.”

And, Ash being Ash, it was feasible that he did likely have a reason. He only nodded at Eiji’s words, burying his head into his shoulder.

He wants to tell him everything— why he was gone for one painful year, however the lump in his throat prevents him from doing so, growing bigger with every breath.

But he knows Eiji is patient, and he knows that Eiji will await an answer with that patience.

“I missed you, Eiji.”

“And I missed you too, Ash.”


End file.
